Courage
by toostupidtocare
Summary: Riko's sudden challenge to the Seirin team leaves everyone speechless...even Furihata Kouki. Shocked into horror, he wrestles with his own feelings and tries to gather up the courage to admit his biggest secret - he's fallen in love with none other than Akashi Seijuurou!
1. Silent Agony

**Courage**

**Akafuri**

Silent Agony

I grip the cold railing with my frozen fingers, inhaling the fresh scent of a cold winter day. A chilly breeze nips at my ears, my cheeks, my nose, whipping my hair away from my face. But nothing can distract me from my current predicament. Staring into the empty courtyard of my school, I close my eyes and flashback to earlier that day…

"Hi everyone," Riko, the club's coach, shouts cheerfully, waving around her arms. Internally, the entirety of the Seirin basketball team is freaking out. What could this possibly mean?

"She...why is she so cheerful?" Kagami mutters from beside me. "We did lose the Winter Cup, right? Right, Kuroko?"

Kuroko, Kagami's closest friend, could only shrug. "We lost, so she must be very disappointed." But he could not elaborate, since he doesn't know what's going on either. Since the three of us are first-years, we turn to the team's captain, Hyuuga-senpai, for some more clarification.

But one look at his face confirms our suspicions that something – and not a good something – is about to happen. He looks pale, and as the person who knows her best, I could only imagine what kind of horror she has in store for us. I clench my fists to stop the butterflies from mauling my gut, but no such luck.

"We'll just have to take it like men," I manage to squeak.

Kuroko and his stoic blue eyes bore into me. It's all I can do to maintain eye contact with him. It is obvious that he is concerned about my well being – after all, the one the least capable of handling anything that coach Riko tosses at us is me.

"So, as you all know…" Riko breaks off the staring contest. "We all lost the Winter Cup last weekend, didn't we?" She smiles, which petrifies everyone. In fact, I'm so terrified that I think I may have just pissed my pants. "I'm sure you may have all forgotten about our promise to become number one in Japan, but I definitely won't let you guys off the hook. So, tomorrow, please meet up on the roof before the morning assembly."

"No, no way," Teppei-senpai, a second year, stutters. "Rakuzan is unbeatable. Don't do this to us, Riko," he wails, tugging on her arm.

"What…what are you talking about?" Kagami huffs, who is clearly not getting it.

"She wants us to confess naked from the rooftop, Kagami-kun" Kuroko mutters through the side of his mouth.

"That's right. Remember?" Riko grins. "Don't lose next time, understood? Winter is cold when naked," she quotes herself. It takes a couple moments but Kagami replies quickly with, "EHHHH?"

Kuroko face palms. "Riko, this is sort of a bizarre request. I'm afraid we'll have to decline." Everyone else on the Seirin team turns to him gratefully, with tears in his eyes. Oh, what courage he has to stand up to the coach! Meanwhile, I'm inching away slowly, realizing that I may just owe Kuroko my life.

"You can't refuse!" Riko says sternly. "Otherwise, I'll make practice hell for you guys."

Maybe I'm just screwed, either way.

Kippei-senpai cries out again. "Second, Riko! We're ranked second, nationally. Aren't you proud of that?" He desperately pleads with Riko as the rest of the team sinks to the ground in despair, their souls flying out of their bodies. "Rikooooooo…" Tears are leaking from his eyes as the rest of us watch in speechlessness.

However, even Teppei-senpai's begging accomplishes nothing. Riko easily shakes him off and makes eye contact with the rest of us, smiling dangerously. In that moment, we all knew that she is dead serious and nothing would persuade her out of it.

"Tomorrow, on the rooftop," she says, picking up her bag and getting ready to leave. "Don't disappoint me, or there will be consequences!"

We all moan as she leaves the gym. Kuroko makes a hefty comparison. "She's almost as scary as Akashi-kun."

I couldn't agree more, so that was why I chose to visit the roof after practice was over. Now, though, looking down at the barren ground, all I can do is shudder. Perhaps it is the ice-cold winter, but more likely, it is the effect of the foreboding feeling I'm getting right now. After all, the person I like…well, it's not a very orthodox pairing.

Sourly, I sit down, the freezing metal railing digging into my back. Less than a year ago, I had stood in the same spot, shouting from the top of my lungs. The girl I had liked back then had rejected me numerous times, more times than I could count on my fingers. She told me to become the best at something. So I joined Seirin's basketball team, because no matter what, I wasn't ready to let her go. And when I did, all I could feel was a sense of emptiness, as if all my emotions were sucked out by some demon.

A demon, indeed, one with crimson, flaming hair, heterochromatic eyes, an overbearing attitude and a superiority complex.

"Uwahhh," I moan out loud. How did I, Furihata Kouki, end up in such a difficult situation? Not only are we both complete opposites, in terms of wealth, social standing, ability, intelligence, and personality, he is a guy, no less! And what good for me would come out of this awfully thought up pairing? All the guy could do is boss me around. Our relationship, if we even have one, would be demoted to servant and master.

After all, I would everything he says, because I'm a coward, aren't I?

Gritting my teeth, I try not to cry, curling my arms around my knees and tucking in my head. How did this even happen? It was just an accidental meeting, because Riko had forced me into escorting Kuroko to the ex-captain of the Teiko team. It was such an awkward meeting, because someone like me should've never been there to begin with. First off, the Generation of Miracles commanded an air of awe and respect. I felt embarrassed to be with them; even Kuroko gave off of that vibe, and I knew him pretty well!

But they all paled in comparison to Akashi Seijuurou. His intimidating aura, his glinting eyes, and expressionless mask all added to the tense atmosphere. The way he held himself was arrogant, cocky, superior, but in a way that he knew no one would fight back. Everything about him, every word, every movement, every glance, implied how serious he was about, well, everything. In that moment, I knew that he wasn't just "scary," "insane," or "psycho," he was the Emperor…an Emperor who didn't need to even look at me to command me, to break me down into the fragile fragments I was made out of. No, it took one look and his sense of presence completely overwhelmed me. If he had told me, right there and then, to do something unspeakable, I would, without a single regret.

I shudder, cradling my head in wretched, silent agony.

No doubt, it was then, or maybe sometime after, but either way, when I felt the little tingles in my fingers and in my heart, I knew it was not good. It's been several days since the accidental meeting, but I haven't been able to banish his handsome features from my mind. Instead, the thought of him lingers and lingers, worming itself into every aspect of my life. Not a minute goes by when I'm not thinking of him, and when I finally get distracted, something always brings me back – Kagami's fiery hair, a gold pendant that some girl is wearing, every freaking pair of scissors I come across.

Even things that have nothing relatable to him begin to pop up everywhere. I start seeing his face in my soup, his name in my textbooks, hearing his voice from classrooms even though I know that he attends Rakuzan. I'm at my breaking point. I don't even want to touch a basketball at this point.

Gurgling, I roll over to my side. Akashi, insane? Well, what does that make me? As I pull myself back into a sitting position, the door to the rooftop opens up. A glint of blue hair makes me stand up, as Kuroko sticks his head out into the cold.

"Um, Furihata-kun? We were wondering where you were. Let's go home together, shall we?" He waves me over and stumbling, I manage to make my way to him.

"Ah, were you waiting for me?" I ask, embarrassed. "You shouldn't have."

"Well, the other first-years and I played rock-paper-scissors to figure out who should try to find you." Kuroko shrugs apathetically. "It's no matter, I live close to the school."

Scissors. Oh, God, of all things, why did he mention that? I can't stop the uncontrollable blush from exploding over my cheeks. Thankfully, the cold will cover it up. I'm sure that my cheeks are already bright red…

"Are you blushing?" Kuroko asks as we travel down the staircase leading to the roof.

"O-o-of course not," I stutter. "No way. Why would I be blushing?"

He looks at me.

I look back.

He knows. He definitely knows. There's no way he doesn't know! It's so obvious, it's written all over my face. He knows who I likeeee!

"Ah," he says knowingly. "You're worried about tomorrow. I think everyone is, so please don't worry."

Urk! He really doesn't know. He has absolutely no idea. How do I break this kind of news to him? Biting my lip, I suddenly burst out, "It's a guy! I like a guy. Can I really announce something like that to the entire school? What should I doooo?" I sound like I'm flipping out, but I mean, at least I'm doing it in front of Kuroko and not the others. "I'll lose all of my respect, if I even had some to begin with!"

"Then it shouldn't be a problem. I mean, about respect," Kuroko smiles at me reassuringly. Granted, this is the most emotion I've seen on his face, ever. "You could always lie. The senpais are debating over it."

I frown. My policy is to be honest, which is something Kuroko and I have in common. "Yes, but…" I don't need to say any more, as my companion understands fully.

As we leave the school grounds, I look over my shoulder towards the roof. Tomorrow morning, I will spill my guts there, like it or not. I didn't have a choice. "Ah, who knew I'd be cornered this way," I cry out loud.

Kuroko is thoughtful, but also curious. "So, who is this guy?"

I tap my fingers against my chin. "I guess I might as well tell you. He's…um…" My cheeks are warm again. My tongue is tangled, and can't force out the name. "U-u-uhm, h-he's…" Should I just go the roundabout route…?

"AKASHI SEIJUUROU!" I scream out loud. "I admit it, Kuroko; I don't know why, but I am insanely attractive to this guy!"

Kuroko almost spits out the water he's drinking. I can see that his composure slips, for just a moment. Glancing sideways, I notice that he actually legitimately looks shocked. Startled. Surprised. Astonished.

He wipes his mouth and nods. "Okay…so, the girl you spoke about in the beginning of the year? You no longer like her?" Ah, a change in topic! What a sneaky bastard, but it distracts me and brings me down from the adrenaline that had suddenly shot into my head.

"Y-yes," I mutter quietly. Wow, I totally lost it earlier. I need to calm down. I'm known for being quiet and nervous, so to me, that was way out of hand. "Ever since the Winter Cup, I no longer think about her." She's been replaced. "I…after years and years, finally, I let go of her. But it hurt. And now everything hurts even more."

He doesn't say the obvious – it's been three days – which is relieving. I don't think he would disapprove, but still. Three days? What is this, Romeo and Juliet? Although, I don't think I would mind if this ended up that way, other than the whole dying part.

"At least," he says slowly. "You won't have to confess to him straight in the face. He doesn't attend Seirin, so…at least, your secret will be safe with us. Chances are, no one at Seirin knows him, or at least personally. I'm sure that," he takes a breath from talking so much, "everyone else is a much perilous predicament. After all, their crushes are probably attend our school."

"That's true," I mumble, as my nerves fizz from anxiety. "Okay, I agree with you."

He offers me a tiny smile. Jeez, he sure is expressive today. "Also, at least they'll only see us butt naked from the roof."

I smile back. "Yes. Thanks to you, I think, I'll have enough courage to stand up there tomorrow."

"Yes, well, it's a tough pill to swallow, but it's not like you'll die from the experience," Kuroko says woodenly. "You should be fine. Actually, is it selfish that I worry about the rest of the team than you? After all, it should be very interesting news."

Is it just me, or is he now the one that sounds stressed out? I raise an eyebrow, and Kuroko purposefully averts his gaze. Ah, well, I'll leave that secret to him, then. Whoever it is…that person is lucky, because Kuroko is a type of person that doesn't appear very often.

Man, am I really going to be okay? I can't help but think that despite this pep talk, I'm going to freeze up tomorrow. Because I'm a coward, aren't I? I almost feel like sobbing, but I think I'll wait until I get under my covers before I do that. After all, the first time Akashi and I met…he told me to leave. He didn't even so much spare a minute on me. Just told me to leave. "Sorry, but can you leave?" he had said. Such simple, plain words, but loaded with an intimidating tone that I could not help but hear. An edge that sent my heart racing and my head throbbing; I had become so terrified I couldn't so much as move.

I don't know what's wrong with me. Maybe that's the problem.

At home, I collapse on my bed. And then I cry. I really, really, really want him, but by no means would I ever get him. He probably doesn't even know my face, much less my name. Even if he did…aren't I just the "guy who interrupted the Generation of Miracles meeting?"

And…if…

Wait, how do I know that I'll even see him again? Maybe this year was a total stroke of luck. Luck, that we even made it this far, to challenge Rakuzan. And it's not even like I could bump into him in town, or anything. After all, Rakuzan is located in Kyoto, miles and miles away from here.

The pillow muffles my pathetic sobs. It's cold. Everything is so, bitterly cold.

**A/N: **Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke. I wish I did, though.

Ah, I haven't written a fanfic in a while. I mean, it's been a year. I think my writing style completely crashed and burned, so I apologize if you're reading this. Seriously. You…you are brave! But, to save your sanity, maybe you should stop here?


	2. Leap of Faith

**Courage**

**Akafuri**

Leap of Faith

"Hurry," Riko whispers as the whole of the Seirin team creeps up the stairwell. "We gotta be quick. The teachers are really suspicious and paranoid about us now."

Hyuuga-senpai looks like he's about the snap back, but bites his lips and keeps it down. But everyone is pretty much thinking the same thing. Isn't it her fault that the authorities are so watchful of us, now? I mean, this isn't the first time we've been up the roof, shouting things and interrupting the morning assembly.

And this time, the situation is completely different. Really different. In fact, everything could either go really, really well or really, really wrong. Actually, to be honest, could this even go well at all?

I hear whimpers coming from some of the guys behind me. Being sandwiched in the middle gives me a great advantage for hearing everyone's hushed whispers. I think someone is softly crying, too. It could be Teppei-senpai, but he's the Iron Heart, right? There's no way he'd cry now, although he was pretty shameless about it yesterday, while trying to beg Riko out of this. Turning around swiftly, I see that it's…

"Koganei-senpai?" I murmur to him. "Are you okay?"

"Huh? Yeah," he says, using his sleeve to wipe away his tears. We can't even laugh; that's our terrified we are. In fact, I'm impressed by the way he carries himself, despite the tears. I'm sure, that deep down inside of us, we're all crying. I know I am.

Finally, we arrive at the door and we burst through, keeping low in case anyone sees us. Thankfully, no one is up here, so that must mean all the teachers are busy with the morning assembly.

Riko turns to look at all of us. "I'm very proud of you boys, but we could've made it." She shakes her head.

No, we couldn't have. Did she even see the score difference at the end of the game?

"It's too sad," she clicks her tongue in disappointment. "Well, time to strip down COMPLETELY." We look at her, petrified. We have to do this…butt naked? I feel like jumping off the roof.

Apparently, I'm not the only that thinks this is way over the top, because Fukuda raises a hand shyly and says, "Riko-senpai? I think that's a bit too much. Please."

"Tsk," she sits back and reconsiders. "Keep your damn pants on. I don't want to see your junk anyways," she says offhandly. "Besides…I don't want to see if _that_ will happen…" Everyone hears the implication her voice.

"As if we could do that here, in the cold," Kagami bursts out.

"Oh?" She raises an eyebrow at him. Kagami, who knew exactly how he sounded right then and there, blushed furiously. "Well," she turns our attention away from the poor redhead. "Let's go."

At first, everyone is reluctant to strip away the only clothing that is protecting our bare torsos from the cold, but we're already freezing anyways, and none of us want our practice to be quadrupled. Silently, we take off our jackets, our shirts, and our undershirts.

"Uwah, it's cold," I blow on my numb fingers. It doesn't help. Don't try it.

Nobody makes a move to go first until Riko starts to look like she's about to murder us. I'm scared. Finally, someone gives in to the atmosphere. It is none other than Hyuuga-senpai himself, and we all gasp at his bravery. He stands up, and the rest of us, who are crouching, look up to him in awe and amazement.

"It's my fault," he says slowly, "that we lost. So, I, the captain, will take responsibility." He strides over to the railing and shouts, "I am Hyuuga Junpei! I am the captain of the Seirin basketball team. Because we placed second nationally, rather than first, which was our goal, I will now confess my feelings to the girl I crush on. I like…"

We all hold our breath in suspense.

"…Riko Aida from 2-B!"

I hear a gasp from the coach as she figures out he's talking about her – yes, her! – and a hot flush appears across her skin. She claps her hands over her mouth and looks close to tears.

"Good work, Hyuuga-senpai!" Everyone thumbs up.

Izuki-senpai then approaches the railing. He shouts out the name of a sort-of obscure basketball idol from overseas. We all feel a little down at this, but Izuki-senpai doesn't seem like the kind of person who would like a girl, so we let him off just once. However, it did cause an outburst of screams from the girls waiting below. It's too bad, because despite his popularity, he would value puns over a girl's life any day.

Teppei-senpai hesitates before he confesses. "I like Hyuuga Junpei from class 2-B! Wow, this is awkward!" I look around at everyone's faces, and yup, everyone looks completely stupefied. But it's Teppei-senpai. I guess we shouldn't be surprised; Teppei-senpai is just that kind of person who takes everything seriously and not seriously at the same time.

Mitobe-senpai and Koganei-senpai follow suit after him, but because Mitobe-senpai can't talk, Koganei-senpai does something a bit different. "I'm Koganei Shinji, and this is Mitobe Rinnosuke! We're both in class 2-A! We both like each other very much! I would like to take this opportunity to-"

Before he can say anything obscene or off topic, his speech is cut short when Riko yanks them both back from the railing. It is pretty clear it's not a serious confession, but, who knows? She seems to have recovered from her earlier fright and she looks angry. "Hey, take it seriously, Koganei-kun. Everyone else is, more or less." She shoots a glare at Izuki-senpai.

Tsuchida-senpai goes up too, and yells out a girl's name from the second-year class. Amidst the silence in the courtyard, I hear a shriek and a "I like you too!" which causes Tsuchida-senpai to blush. Then, finally, after all the second-years have gone, I'm up.

I'm up because I volunteer to go. I stand up stoically, and approach the railing with apprehension. Why haven't the teachers come already? My cowardly side whines and moans. He doesn't want to do this. But, the new courage that I had found yesterday beats my cowardly side up. Do it! He yells in my head. Do it and don't be afraid! Never be afraid, not anymore. Besides, what could happen? Take a damn leap of faith and believe in yourself.

In one great, heaving breath I announce: "I'm Furihata Kouki, from class 1-C. I like Akashi Seijuurou, from the school Rakuzan. That's all!"

I barely take in my teammates' gasps of shock, exclamations, and was that a giggle of amusement just now? I stumble back to my clothes and hurriedly put them back on, just like the second-years have done. Fukuda and Kawahara look at me with gaping jaws. But before the next person goes, the door to the roof slams open, and an angry headmaster walks into the frigid winter air.

We all go dead silent. Even my startling confession is taken down, priority wise.

Riko smiles at the headmaster nervously.

"You guys again?" he snarls at us. While Riko is trying to patch up the situation with sweet talk, the rest of the first-years take the opportunity to put back their clothes. Lucky bastards. Did they know what kind of pain and torture I went through those few steps to the railing? No, they didn't, and they will probably never experience it, as the headmaster barks out something about not coming up to the roof ever again this year.

Riko is trying to convince him it's important in order to boost morale and we made it to second, nationally ranked, because of the declarations from earlier in the year. This causes the headmaster to rethink his decision.

Once she's done, Riko waves to the rest of us as we depart the roof, leaving the headmaster to talk to the other teacher that accompanied him. "Well, he definitely reconsidered. We can't ever strip down on the roof, but he's okay with letting us shout stuff now."

"How…what in God's name are you?" Kagami gasps. "How is that possible. How'd you persuade him?" We loudly make our way down the stairs, hugging our bodies and appreciating the warmth of the building.

She smiles mysteriously. "If you had been listening, you would know," she says sing-songy. "So, this means that tomorrow morning, the rest of the first years get to go!" Cue moans from the other four first years, who had thought they had gotten away with it. Instead, they were made to suffer an extra day in the cold. I'm sure that if they knew they didn't have to go today, they wouldn't have taken off their clothes.

Ah, well, I feel slightly relieved.

The day goes by more or less smoothly, with little to throw me off my game. Classmates wander by, looking at me strangely, but with acceptance. They have no idea who I was talking about, but it is clear that I'm attracted to guys. Still, doing something like that required a lot of guts, and I think people respect me for that. I feel a bit self conscious that I had bared my chest (and my soul) to my school – I 'm not even muscled and toned like Kagami. And although I feel a bit shy, I'm also very proud of myself. After all, who the hell would actually like the creepy psycho freak and admit that out loud? I think I might be the only one crazy enough to do that. I didn't get a chance to talk to the others, but I want to see their reaction. I wonder…

As class starts, I look down at my hands. We play the same position, so it's no wonder that I admire his skills. His hands must be beautiful, I think. They handle the ball so gracefully, but when he needs to, he'll slam it out of anyone's hands. His hands, yes, his hands, like his eyes and mind, are works of a genius. I haven't been able to keep him out of my thoughts after all, not even to focus on the lesson in front of me. Gripping my pencil tightly, I try to concentrate, but to no avail. Half the class looks like they're about to sleep anyways.

Instead, I focus my gaze outside. It's been almost ten minutes since the morning assembly ended, so I blink at the sight of a figure by the main gate.

The figure has red hair.

The figure lifts up a hand as a greeting.

The figure…is…?

No way, no way, no way, no way, I glance down at my notebook. There's no freaking. NO FREAKING WAY THAT IS AKASHI SEIJUUROU.

I look up again, but the figure has disappeared from the gate.

Of course it couldn't be him. He lives and goes to a school in Kyoto, which is hours away, even by bullet train. Why would he take a day off to visit Seirin, or all places? Isn't he incredibly close to Murasakibara, from Yosen? If he had a day off, he'd surely visit his violet-haired friend. Why would he come here? Besides…he wouldn't have known today was the day we were all going to confess.

Unless Kuroko told him.

I consider the possibility, but Kuroko is not that kind of person. So I sigh, push my pencil back to the paper, and stare at the teacher. I admit that I was hallucinating, again. Even if a figure had been standing there, it could be any red-haired girl. After all, there are a lot of girls who insist on dying their hair to look attractive. Like the girl I used to like.

I turn my thoughts to her. Yeah, she dyed her hair recently, didn't she? Tapping my pencil against my notebook, I frown. She's in another class, so it's not like I could see her now, but I wonder what her reaction was to the confession. Thankfully, though, my curiosity is squelched flat when she approaches me in the hallway during break.

"I didn't expect that from you," she says.

"Yes, well…" I trail off. Even though I've given up on her, I'm still nervous while talking to her. What is this? This is unfair!

She purses her lips, looking unhappy. I don't think she enjoys the fact that she lost my affection, even though she never returns it. She probably uses it as leverage against her friends, just waiting for the right time to take advantage of me. Don't worry, I tell her silently. The guy I like? He's like you, sort of. Except he's less human. He's more a demon than anything else.

I try not to scream out loud with laughter. Is she jealous? She's jealous! She's jealous that I like someone else.

This is delusional. I'm delusional.

"Well," she says, finally, "whatever. It's not even like I liked you."

"But," I say quietly. "I did become good at something. Basketball. And although I mostly sit from the sidelines, I've had my debut match. And as a first year, I think that's something to be proud of – usually first years barely make it to the bench." I see a bit of guilt in her eyes, but I don't want to play the guilt card. Even if she hurt me, I can't hurt her. "Don't worry, though. I actually want to thank you for your words. They were painful to endure, but they got me to where I am, and now I've found someone else."

We don't say anything else and I leave with a feeling of…satisfaction?

During practice, most of us look like hell. After all, the whole school knows. Hyuuga-senpai and Riko look so embarrassed that I think Riko is about to punch Hyuuga-senpai to oblivion. Izuki-senpai looks guilty from seeing the rest of us in pieces. He tries to crack a couple jokes but none of us can stomach them. Teppei-senpai surprising looks okay as well. Clapping his giant hands on Hyuuga-senpai's shoulder, he declares, "I'll give up on you, so you and Riko be good, alright?" This causes Riko to glare feriously at him, and the rest of us to cower somewhere else in the gym.

Koganei-senpai and Mitobe-senpai are huddling in the corner, trying to sort out their feelings. Tsuchida-senpai isn't even at practice, and Riko cuts him some slack. "Because," she says, "I think we all know where he is."

And then there's me.

Everyone shoots me pitying looks or looks of utter confusion. They don't get it. Even I don't get it. Kuroko pats me on the back. "You did well," he said. I still haven't figured out who laughed, but out of all of them, I'd bet my money on Kuroko.

Later on in the practice, as we practice shooting, I notice that Riko is pushing the other first-years harder than the rest of us, cutting us some slack. Ah, well, despite how transparent her action is, we look at each other gratefully. She knows when to be kind. Also, I think she's still a bit caught off guard by Hyuuga-senpai's confession.

"Furihata-kun," a dull voice comes from over my shoulder.

"Eep!" I startle and jump. "Kuroko! What's up?"

He's sweating a bit more than usual, which is odd. "She's really tough on us today," he says stoically. "She must be very sad we didn't get to go today." Upon further scrutinizing, he also looks a lot paler than normal. Don't tell me…he's actually dreading tomorrow? My face must have implied I figured it out, because he only coolly stares at me with those brilliant blue eyes. "Okay," I smile nervously. "I'll…talk to her."

A couple moments later and I'm standing next to the fuming Riko and the befuddled Hyuuga-senpai, who look like they need to talk to each other about something important, basketball wise, but can't. "Riko?" I say. "Is it okay if you cut the first-years some slack? I'm sure this isn't…necessary for them to overcome. Actually, I'm just worried about their emotional well being."

Riko sits down on the bench and mentions for me to join her. She tucks her head upon her enlaced fingers, pondering over my request. Finally, she nods and agrees. "I think so, too. But just as a fright, I'll inform them of it tomorrow morning. Is that alright?" She looks to me for confirmation. I smile in return and then look at Hyuuga-senpai.

There's really nothing I can say, but I try to say something anyways. "You guys really can't get worse than the problem I'm in now."

Both of them crack smiles at that. I hope that they make up soon. After all, they are our beloved captain and coach. I leave them alone to talk it out, and practice ends soon after. I don't tell Kuroko about the conversation between Riko and I, but he is constantly fretting over tomorrow, despite his calm exterior.

I think I might go to bed happy tonight. Sure, the confession sure as hell wasn't easy, but now that it's over, all I feel is relief. And pride, that I did that.

A auburn-haired girl leans down to pick up the pair of red scissors. There is barely any dirt on it, signaling that it hasn't been that long since it was dropped. Looking around, she doesn't notice anyone that seems to be looking for it. Shrugging, she taps them gently against her palm while she pouts.

She is thinking about the guy who used to like her. It's hard to hold back the anger – she had lost a useful pawn because of that Akashi person. Well, never mind. She has other boys to control, other things to think about. Smirking, she pockets the scissors and saunters back to her friends.

She doesn't think about whom those scissors belong to.

**A/N: **Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke.

Furihata will finally be able to meet up with Akashi in the next part. Also, um…sorry about the really awkward love triangle I like Teppei with Hyuuga, but what sets Furi apart is that he's gay, and it's clear he's 100% serious. I'm not sure if I really conveyed that…sorry.


	3. Closer to You

**Courage**

**Akafuri**

Closer to You

I take a long swig from the milk carton and sigh in satisfaction. Ah, it really did feel good to drink something cold after studying for hours on end. My grades aren't fantastic, so I made up for them with hours of flash cards and memorization games. I put the cap back on, and shake it a bit. There's only a little left. Well, it'll be enough for after my run, so I stick it back into the fridge.

"Mom, dad, I'm going out to run," I call out as I pull on my shoes by the doorway. They both say something inaudible so I take it as an affirmative. Grabbing a towel and a water bottle, I leave my house and jog slowly down the street. I tuck the water bottle into my sweatshirt pocket and wrap the towel around my neck as I pick up speed, gently cooperating with the giant incline that I knew is going to be hell to climb up later.

Here, in the safety of my runner's mind, I don't think about Akashi, for once. I think about how badly my muscles hurt right about now – ow, owwww – and what I should do to relieve the pain when I go home. Who am I kidding, I just started running! Damn Riko and her harsh training regime. Every morning, it's another battle against muscle pain, and it doesn't help that I go out running and force myself to practice extra late at night.

Everything…everything hurts! The cowardly part of me is sobbing, crying out loud for relief. Stop, stop running, he says. The newfound brave part of me, though, says, you do this every day. So why are you going to stop now?

Urk. Nothing stops the nausea, though. Where did it even come from? I stumble through a park and force myself to take a break. It's no good if I puke now. Clenching my fists and breathing heavily, I try not to gag, but to no avail. I gag, and I gag, and why do I feel this way?

I force water down my throat. I end up choking, spilling water over myself. How clumsy of me, and yet how typical. Heaving, I stick my head between my knees, trying to breathe. Why is everything spinning? I must've eaten something crappy for dinner, because my stomach is starting to hurt too, like someone punched me in the gut and forgot to say sorry. Moaning, I lay down on the bench, but neither the pain nor the nausea abates.

Why me? Why meeeee? Note to self: have painkillers on hand at all times.

I curl up into fetal position, clutching the bench like it's my lifeline, and debate about what I did wrong in my life. Why has God forsaken me? Something is pushed between my lips and reflexively, I swallow it and –

Wait, what?

Before I can pull myself up, a stranger pushes my head down on the bench. "Don't move," he says huskily. "It'll calm your stomach." Yeah, right! I'm being kidnapped. Ohmygod, someone please help me. I'm going to die here. I'm sorry, mom, dad, I wish I could've said "I love you" before I left. I'm so stupid, for letting myself be taken this easily, but it's not like I can fight back…

I feel drowsy. Sleep is pulling at my eyelids. Everything…is going to pieces…

My eyes slowly open, revealing a lazily setting sun and an empty park. Sitting up slowly, I recall the events before I passed out.

I was kidnapped, but where was my kidnapper?

Shaking my head to clear it, I realize that I wasn't kidnapped at all! I'm still here, on the same park bench. Furthermore…nothing hurts! I pat myself down, counting my body parts and making sure I am more or less unharmed. Sighing in relief, I pick myself up and I'm ready to go back home. It's probably been a while since I've passed out, and my parents are bound to be worried, especially because it's starting to get dark.

"Where do you think you're going, Furihata Kouki?" A sweet, silky, yet sharp voice calls out from behind me.

Turning around slowly, woodenly, I face the source of the voice. My mouth opens unconditionally as I freeze in shock. Ohmygod, what is doing here? I thought he was in Kyoto! I clutch my heart, because it's racing at the speed of light in both excitement and fear. And he knows my name! How does he know my name?

He smirks at me, his eyes flashing in setting sun. His hair melts with the rest of the vibrant sky and – no! I shake my head furiously. No poetry right now!

"Sit down," he commands, pointing at the bench and leaving me no choice other than to obey. Silently, I perch my butt at the far end of the bench, waiting for whatever is about to come. The other end is inhabited by him, whose long legs are sprawled out before him. I gulp nervously, trying to make myself as small as possible.

He looks over at me, and I can tell, even though I'm staring at my lap. I can almost taste the tension that is flowing across the unused part of the bench. Finally, the silence becomes so intolerable that I have to say something, even if it's nothing in particular. But my tongue ties up as I debate over what I want to say. I can't offend him, but I'm curious as well; is there anything that could possibly be a compromise between the two?

"Why…" I lick my chapped lips nervously. "Why did you ask me to sit down?" Looking up apprehensively, I see that his usual cold mask is on.

"I just wanted to talk, that's all," he says. "Are you feeling any better, by any chance?"

I nod silently. I wonder how he knew and why he helped me.

"I was just passing by, that's all," he says airily, as if he knew what I was thinking. "Out of concern, and simply because it was convenient, I fed you some antacid." He frowns. "I don't know why you passed out though."

Are you sure that was just antacid? I can't help but feel a little stir of panic rise up within me. Oh, I have never been so terrified in my life. My first experience with Akashi and even the confession from the rooftop could not compare to this.

"Ah…ah…" I squeak out, pitifully. He looks at me questioningly. Eye contact is bad, so I demurely lower my gaze before asking my next question. "A-A-Aka…" I trail off.

He kicks my leg and I let out an embarrassing "meep."

"Finish your thoughts," he says coldly.

"A-Akashi…san…" I whisper. "U-um, t-that is, why are you here?"

He laughs, or whatever comes out of his mouth passes for laughing, especially coming from him. "How interesting," he smirks, again. Oh, God. His smirk is so arousing, except I can't quite get rid of the pangs of fear I feel every time he does it. "A little pet of mine told me to come by Seirin High today, and anticipate a very special surprise."

KUROKO! I'll kill you! I scream in my mind. Why, why did this have to happen? I mean, I can't blame him; Akashi's hard to refuse, but still! Show some self restraint, will you?

"After I witnessed something truly intriguing, I decided to visit my old place for a nostalgia kick. Little did I know, I seemed to have lost my favorite red scissors along the way, so I've been looking for it or a suitable replacement since." He sets his steely gaze on me, his hungry look making me feel like I'm the meal to some carnivorous animal.

Well, it's not like the metaphor is inaccurate.

"So," he says, "it seems like you will aid me in my search."

S-shit. I bite my lip, contemplating if I can get out of this mess without being brutally murdered. The answer? Not at all. Having him close by is a frightening experience, but somehow…I want to prolong my time with him. After all, it's not like we could see each other very often, right?

I nod, consenting to his request – er, order. "I guess I have no choice," I mumble.

He smiles at me, amused. "Good!" My heart skips a beat; is he pleased by this turn of events? "Now, then, I suppose I shall let you go home, since it's already this late. Ah, but, today was a good change of pace, I'll have you know."

Urk. He's definitely alluding to this morning…

There's a brief silence as I wonder if he's trying to get me to confess in person. That's definitely not right! Why would he possibly be interested, anyways? Maybe it's funny, to him? After all…it's "interesting," right? My thoughts dash around in circles, as I feel cold sweat begin to accumulate on my back. I really ought to be getting home.

"W-w-w-well, then, if you'll excuse me," I get up hurriedly and bow to him. Then I turn around and run like the devil is behind me – which he is, by the way.

At home, my parents ask me why I'm so late back home. "Ahhh, I just met up with a friend of mine, and we spent some time talking," I say. It's not a lie, but it's not really the truth either…but how could I possibly explain to my parents that the guy I was talking to is my crush?

I trudge upstairs to take a shower and clear my thoughts.

First on the agenda. Was Kuroko really the one who told Akashi about the confession thing? Who else could it possibly be? I'll talk to him tomorrow. And I'll ask who he likes, because, you know, how is this situation fair?

Pouting, I sink my head below the water to wash my face. Gah, I sweated so much when I was sitting near (not next to) Akashi. The atmosphere is completely different when I know he's focused on me…it both freaks me out and makes me happy, in a way. After all, I got a chance to see him up close and personal; he is definitely more handsome when he's not threatening Kagami with scissors. I squeal like a fangirl, except I'm underwater, which makes it sound more like a gurgle. When I come up for air, I attack my second item on the agenda.

What am I supposed to do? I can't possibly find a freaking pair of red scissors. I frown. Maybe we'll have to retrace all his steps. Even then…a pair of scissors? Someone would've picked it up by now or thrown it out.

"How do you even lose something like that?" I moan out loud. Looks like we'll have to find a replacement...speaking of which, any pair would work, right? I mean, scissors? Seriously? I'd just buy another pair. For him to hold them in such high regard…what're they, hand-made by a master craftsman in Kyoto or some shit?

I'm conflicted in whether I want to find the damn scissors and send him on his way, or prolong the search and have panic attacks every time those gorgeous eyes look at me. Really, it's my call, isn't it? I kind of just want to drown myself, too. Ah, everything just got interesting all of sudden, didn't it?

The next morning, I end up getting up later than usual. Tossing on my school uniform hastily, and running my fingers through my hair, I'm out of my room in thirty seconds flat. I grab some toast, ignoring my mom's "Good morning – hey! That's not for you!", and manage to find my shoes under a pile of dirty towels. As almost a second thought, I remember to bring my schoolbag. Shoes? Check. Uniform? Check. Messy bedhead? Check. Homework? Not check. Well, that's what the train is for, isn't it?

I take a bite out of my toast as I let myself out of the house. Mm, tasty…

The toast falls out of my mouth.

"W-wh-what?" I squeak.

"What?" He looks at me defensively. "You didn't expect me here?" Ah, his eyes are glimmering pools of color, like always. I almost lose myself in them, except –

"I'm late! I'm sorry, Akashi-san. Can we please talk later?" I rush past him, sprinting down the awful hill (by the way, yes, it was hell to climb up last night) and trying to get to the station before my train leaves.

I think he's following me. I look over my shoulder, and he's easily keeping up with me.

Doesn't he have school or something? I try not to trip over my own feet. He probably blackmailed the principal into giving him some time off. Of course, that would be typical Akashi…and of course, he has the power to do it, as well. He follows me through the station, and we sprint to the train doors, both of us managing to squeeze inside the sparsely-populated car.

Panting like maniacs, the two of us sit down side by side, trying to catch our breath.

"Well done," he murmurs to me under his breath. "I didn't know you could run that fast."

Clutching my chest as a defensive mechanism, I try to inch away from him. "R-r-right." Now that the heat of the moment is behind us, I'm back to my nervous, shaking self. "Well, I can't be late, because…well, I just can't be late." Urk, I sound so stupid right now, but I also want to piss my pants, and I would choose the former over the latter any day.

"Hm," he looks at me, using eye contact to melt me into a pile of mush. "Well, I guess I should explain why I was outside your house this morning." Yes, that. What was that? Are you creeping on me or something? I let out a panicked "eeeee?" as he scoots closer to me. "I got a bit anxious this morning, so I was thinking we could begin the search today. I was looking for you, that's why."

That's fine by me, but did you really have to be so damn creepyyy? Huh? He's getting really close! Gulping, I tug my schoolbag into my lap and pull out my homework. Maybe if I try to distract myself…

He pulls the textbook out of my hands. "Hm? You must be dumber than you look. This is quite simple stuff, really." I reach for it, snatching it back successfully. He looks at me, surprised. Ah, you see, Akashi, I'm a lot bolder when my grades are on the line, alright? Plus, I'm going to be late.

"Please don't bother me," I say quietly, as I grab my pencil and start scribbling down answers. I feel a panic attack coming on; who knows how he'll respond to my comment?

He responds in the most baffling way ever. He advances closer to me, eating up the space between us. He sits so close that our thighs nearly touch. And when he's right next to me, he peers over my shoulder and starts whispering answers in my ear. But I found that, with his company, my homework became a tad easier. Pretty soon, both of us worked through the entire thing, despite the uncomfortable distance between us, or lack thereof.

"Phew," I wipe the sweat off my brow. Done! That was so fast! And just in time, too; I stand up to get off the train, with Akashi right behind. "U-u-ummm…" I glance behind me. "Are you planning on coming to school with me?" I say meekly.

He tucks his hands into his pockets – which is really hot, by the way – as we walk up the hill to the school. He doesn't say anything, so I let him just follow me. Besides, what could I do? Tell him he couldn't come to school with me? He'll probably blackmail our principal into letting him stay. Checking with the watch on my wrist, I heave a sigh of relief as I realize that I made it in time.

"We'll start our search at your school," he says abruptly.

"Y-yes," I say weakly, mostly because I'm really out of dealing-with-Akashi-juice at the moment. Who knew that the guy I like would be so high-maintenance?

We split up on school grounds. I think he wants to poke around a bit, but I want to head up to my classroom before the late bell rings. Upon my arrival, I sink into my chair and rest my head on the desk. How did everything turn out like this? Sighing, I twirl my pencil around my fingers. Still, he is really cute. I've never gotten this close to him before…

He was really close to me on that train. His face is much prettier up close, especially his eyes, with those long, red eyelashes…

Blushing, I cover my face with my hands. How can I possibly try to find his scissors knowing that he's in such close proximity?

**A/N: **Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke.

Hm, does Akashi truly like Furihata, or he is just toying around with him because he's interesting? We shall see…


	4. Unpredictable and Dangerous

**Courage**

**Akafuri**

Unpredictable and Dangerous

When the bell rings for lunch, I immediately launch myself out of my chair to head out the door. The entire day, I have been looking for Akashi, leaving as soon as I can during break, and arriving just before class starts. Still, my efforts proved fruitless, so I decide to spend my lunch break to look for him. Before I can open the door, though, Fukuda blocks the door, holding a bento in one hand.

He scratches his head before he asks, "Um, want to eat lunch together?" Typically, we hang out during breaks and meet up with Kawahara, and even eat lunch together.

I laugh nervously. I definitely do not want anyone to know that Akashi may or may not be on school grounds. "No, not today, Fukuda. I'm sorry. Maybe tomorrow?" I edge my way around him and exit the classroom, sighing in relief when he doesn't give chase. Sure, he's a great guy, but there are some things that I wish to keep away from him, mostly for his protection, really. This Akashi guy is really dangerous, and there's no way I'm going to let him hurt my friends because of my connection to him.

Although I've been keeping an eye out the window during class, I hadn't seen him at all in the courtyard. "Hmm," I tap my foot impatiently. The roof is probably the best place to go, so I can get a good view of the entirety of the school. Another couple minutes later, and I'm on the rooftop, scanning the fields for any sign of that redhead.

Nothing.

Sighing, I let go of the railing and head back down the stairs. Maybe I should eat or something. I'm feeling a bit light-headed, but I have no appetite, especially after the nausea from yesterday. The cold air isn't helping much either. It's a miracle I'm still on two feet and not nursing a fever. As I walk by the classrooms for my year, I notice a pair of red scissors lying on a desk in one of the neighboring rooms.

There's no way, right? I scoff and continue on my way, intending to head downstairs to the gym. As I open the doors, I sigh in disappointment as I take in the sight of the empty room. There's no one here. Suddenly, I hear a crash coming from the locker rooms.

Ohmygod.

I gulp and slowly walk over to the door. Should I open it? Of course I should. But it could be anything. What if it's a robber or something, or even worse, a couple doing, well, it? What if it's just Riko organizing our equipment or something? But there was a crash…maybe someone's hurt?

I walk over and place my hand on the handle, biting my lip, thinking furiously. There was no cry for help. I'm not obligated to go inside; rather, I can just claim that I didn't hear anything at all! The brave me tells me I should open the door and figure out what's going on, but the cowardly me whispers insistently to run away. Run away, run away, run away…the words echo in my ears.

But to be honest, I'm sick of running away.

I wrench open the door and yell, "Is everything okay?" before I survey the scene before me.

Ohmygod.

"W-w-w-w-what are you doing?" I manage to stutter. All the blood rushes to my head and I grip the door for support, feeling like I'm about to pass out. My vision is assaulted with little white dots as I try to process the situation.

Two very guilty boys look at me, both with deadpan expressions, holding a pair of underwear between them. I turn to look at the open locker – my open locker – and then turn back to look at Kuroko and Akashi.

I need to sit down.

I fix the overturned bench, which was probably the cause of the crash, and plant my butt on it. Breathe, I tell myself. There must be an explanation for this, this being two boys holding my underwear that they took from my gym locker. Oi, isn't this a scene straight out of a shoujo manga or something?

Through my peripheral vision, I can see that they are watching me struggle to catch my breath. Kuroko eventually drops his hold on the article of clothing and approaches me, putting a hand reassuringly on my back. "One, two, inhale, three, four, exhale," he mutters to me.

In, out, in, out, and I can finally breathe again, although to be truthful, I am quite traumatized.

"Akashi-san just needed something to wear," Kuroko says soothingly. "He doesn't have a place to stay, so he's rooming with me. He's been borrowing most of my clothes, but he's closest to you in size, so I figured you wouldn't mind." That's such a lie. Seriously, he couldn't just have gone out and bought some goddamn underwear?

I stare down at my lap, my fingers trembling vigorously. "It's fine," I shake my head. "Do…do whatever you guys want." In all honesty, I kind of want to cry. Not because they did all of this, but mostly because no one had the heart to tell me, not even Kuroko. Well, Kuroko is a pretty considerate guy, but this crosses the line, right? But given his loyalty to his ex-captain…I can't blame him for anything. It's really not his fault.

I applaud myself on my impeccable timing.

"We didn't tell you," Akashi begins to say, "because we knew it would put us in a compromising situation. It seems that we were in the wrong for not telling you."

Obviously. I don't think he's going to lower himself to apologize, so that's as close as it's gonna get.

I shake my head again. "It's fine. I'm usually an understanding person. However, I would have appreciated it if one of you two told me."

Kuroko shrugs a bit. "It must've been surprising for you. I'm sorry." He drops the underwear into a bag that's lying on the floor. "We were going to tell you, once we already took everything." Um, Kuroko, that's called stealing.

I bite my lip. My heart rate is off the charts and my all of my extremities are tingling out of fright or shock, I don't know. Honestly, I'm still quite horrified. It's a sort of image a fujoshi would appreciate thoroughly, but for someone like me, it's something that is burned into my memory for forever, and not in a good way. It was like that one time when Kawahara told me that there was a rumor floating around that Izuki-senpai liked bondage.

What's the word for this situation? Oh, awkward.

Kuroko gets up and after a brief silence, he leaves the room.

"Have you found the scissors yet?" Akashi asks me.

"No," I answer. "I have been looking for it this entire day, though." I don't mention that I've been looking for him as well, or that I had found a pair on a desk earlier, but wasn't brave enough to grab it.

"Tch," he clicks his tongue and shifts a bit, bumping his elbow into a locker. "I'll have to leave before your practice starts, as much as I'd like to continue poking around."

"Yes," I say, hesitantly. "It would be bad if my team figured out you were here." Although it's kind of too late for something like that, right?

"Well, continue to look for it, alright?"

I continue to examine the row of lockers in front of me. "Y-yes." I can't possibly refuse him, right? But this is such an irrational goal to try to achieve!

Standing up, I turn to face him. He's smiling, amused.

"I honestly thought you were going to tell me off, right then," he chuckles. "Well, it's not something you from the Winter Cup would do, but you've changed quite a bit lately, haven't you?" He takes a couple steps to confront me, face to face. Well, sort of. I'm still shorter than he is, but not by much.

"It's fine," he says. "Thank you for the clothes. In exchange, you do not need to continue to look for my scissors. I will just buy a replacement."

W-what? Was he just playing with me? Testing my willpower? Ah, he's definitely a really difficult person to read.

"I'll continue to look for it," I say. "Please don't underestimate me. I can be quite determined when I need to be." Uwah, I definitely shouldn't have said that with such resolve. If I can't find them, I'm going to look like the biggest idiot ever. Never mind, I already am an idiot!

The impromptu staring contest breaks off when I avert my gaze from his gleaming eyes. Urk. My heart rate is starting to pick up, so I make way for the door. Before I can leave though, he rushes by me and slams the door closed. I take a startled step back, and he uses his forearm to knock me down to the ground.

My head slams into the ground and I see more stars. Ooh, this is not good for my already light-headedness. I close my eyes and put a hand against my forehead. Jeez, why did he do that? "O-oww…" I try to get up but a hand on my chest pushes me down.

"It hurts, doesn't it?" I can hear the smirk in voice. Of course it hurts, goddammit! "You should probably lie down for a while."

He planned this all along, didn't he? My head is aching too much for me to be angry about it, much less whine.

He leans down, two inches from my face. My cheeks start to grow warm, and the now-familiar tingling barrages my senses. His hand brushes my cheek softly and I feel my stomach lurch. P-please don't get this close to me. You're killing me, you are! And what if someone comes in right around now? There'd probably be one massive misunderstanding.

"You're funny," he says.

"P-please get off me, Akashi-san," I choke out. "I can't breathe." Ah, did I forget to mention he's also sitting on my chest? Some people don't really look their weight. Also, what are we going to do if someone finds us like this?

"Mm," he taps his fingers to his lips. "I think not." Blushing, I try to look away, but he leans down even further. "You can't escape me."

"…"

"…"

"Okay, now will you get off me?" I wail. As much as I appreciate his presence, skin to skin contact really isn't exactly the healthiest thing for me right now. Besides…this situation suddenly turned really awkward, again. With both of us with nothing to say, and him sitting on top of me, well…I'm so embarrassed I could die! At least have the nerve to say something, Akashi!

Finally, he lets go of his grip on my wrists, leaving white marks where he grabbed me too tightly.

Once we're both up, I brush off my clothes. I wonder if Kuroko is still sticking around. Probably not. I take one last, lingering look at the guy I would do anything for, before making my escape. He doesn't say anything as I rush out the door, trying to simultaneously calm my pounding heart and my raging boner.

I kneel in the hallway. He was so close to me! He sat on me! He touched me! He told me "You can't escape me"! What are the implications of that? Where am I supposed to put all these feelingsssss? And…and…and before I left, did he blush? He did blush!

Rubbing the back of my sore head, I try to figure things out, but there's really only thing I can say at this point in time.

Akashi Seijuurou is the most unpredictable guy I've ever met. It's hard to piece together his feelings and motives, much less figure out what he's about to do next. Well. Maybe things like this should be left alone.

…I want to go home.

"Hey, hey, Furihata," Fukuda pokes my side. "Why are you acting so strangely today?"

"Huh? I'm acting weird?" I smile nervously as I take my jacket off.

The rest of the locker room is full of chattering boys as they change for practice. The senpais are heatedly debating something as my fellow freshman screw around with their clothes, flinging them around, and laughing over someone's underwear. I'm relieved because at least it's not mine. This leaves Fukuda and me a little privacy to talk to each other, which is bad, because I've been avoiding Fukuda all day.

Fukuda looks at me, and then nods. "Yeah. Did something happen?"

"Mm, no," I turn to my locker and manage to wrestle it open.

Oh.

OH.

My locker is empty, completely, totally, utterly empty. There is absolutely nothing in it.

"KUROKO?" I scream. "Where did all my clothes gooooooo?"

**A/N: **Disclaimer: I don't own Kuroko no Basuke.

Okay! So I just recovered from of con-exhaustion (known as fatigue, headaches and muscle pain) from working a four day convention. When I got home on Sunday, I checked my email and was completely floored by the outpouring of support. So thanks! I really don't know what you guys see in this but whatever. I'm actually pretty hesitant about sending this chapter out, because I feel like the quality decreases every time I post a chapter. There's really nothing I can do about it except pray that you guys still like it. Ah, well. It is what it is.

In regards to the story, is it just me or is Furihata slowly becoming really sassy? Also…ooh, the locker room scene didn't exactly work out, huh? Hm, maybe Akashi is waiting for Furihata to make some moves? Who knows?


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